Phonics at School Lane Nursery
At School Lane Nursery, we are passionate about giving children the best possible start on their journey to reading. To support a smooth transition into Primary School, we incorporate phonics into our daily routines in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate way, all within a language-rich environment that nurtures speaking, listening, and early literacy skills.
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Phonics is a key approach to early reading, helping children learn how to listen to, identify, and use the sounds in spoken language. Through developing skills such as blending (putting sounds together to make words) and segmenting (breaking words into individual sounds), children begin to understand how letters and sounds work together.
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Our oldest children (aged 3–4) take part in daily phonics sessions that introduce these concepts in a structured and supportive setting. As part of this, we follow a well-established phonics programme designed to lay strong foundations for confident, early reading.
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All children across the nursery experience Phase 1 phonics throughout the day, with engaging activities like sound stories, nursery rhymes, music, and listening games. These playful, sound-based experiences are woven into our daily routine to help children tune into the rhythms and patterns of language.
At School Lane Nursery, phonics is more than just a lesson—it’s part of a vibrant, communication-focused environment where every child is encouraged to develop a love of language and a confident voice.
Essential letters and sounds Scheme (ELS)
Our older pupils take part in daily phonics sessions using the Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) scheme. This structured programme introduces key reading skills such as segmenting and blending. We support this learning through the use of "robot arms", a fun and physical strategy that helps children break CVC words into sounds.
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ELS helps children recognise initial sounds and begin early word reading with confidence. It also supports a smooth transition to Primary School—particularly for those moving on to Badsey First School, where the same phonics scheme is used
Watch the video below to see how Robot arms is used to support early reading:
Phase 1 phonics
All children at School Lane Nursery are immersed in Phase 1 phonics from the very start of their nursery journey. This early stage of phonics focuses on developing listening skills, sound awareness, and the ability to distinguish between different sounds—key foundations for future reading.
Phase 1 is woven into everyday activities and play. Whether it’s reading rhyming books, mimicking animal or vehicle sounds during role play, singing nursery rhymes, or joining in with a silly, alliterative register, our staff naturally incorporate sound-rich language into daily interactions. These playful, engaging moments help children tune into the sounds around them and begin to understand how language works.
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By building strong auditory and speaking skills through Phase 1, we ensure every child is well prepared to begin the Essential Letters and Sounds scheme when they reach their final year with us.
